City's Jewish school close, beef up security after Hamas calls for day of 'jihad'
Kate Anderson Daily Caller News Foundation Several New York Jewish schools closed Friday, while others increased security, after calls by Hamas for a global day of “jihad,” according to The New York Post. The threats followed attacks by Hamas over the weekend, who launched thousands of rockets into Israel and sent in hundreds of operatives…
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Kate Anderson
Daily Caller News Foundation
Jewish schools in New York amped up security Friday, some even shutting down altogether, after a former Hamas senior official called for a global day of “jihad,” according to The New York Post.
Rebecca Weiner, deputy commissioner of the NYPD Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, said Thursday that the department was going to have a larger presence on Oct. 13 “out of an abundance of caution” after former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called on Muslims all over the world to begin a “jihad” and sacrifice their “blood and souls,” according to the Post. At least three schools have reportedly closed while others have increased their security, and one parent, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety reasons, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that their school’s security team had decided to not open their doors Friday.
The father said that, fortunately, he did not have to explain to his 5- and 6-year-olds why the school was closed since they’d had a family event planned beforehand.
“My kids are 5 and 6. They understand that people sometimes use their hands instead of their words,” he said. “As a parent, it’s horrifying. Every child who dies is an absolute tragedy. This is not to suggest any type of moral equivalence between Hamas and the IDF. But I can’t fathom the pain of losing a child and it’s abhorrent that kids are suffering right now because of fundamentalists and terrorists.”
Meshaal’s threats followed a weekend of attacks from Hamas, which is listed as a designated Palestinian terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel starting early Saturday morning and sent in hundreds of operatives who executed, raped and kidnapped hundreds of Israelis, with a death toll hitting over 1,300, according to The Wall Street Journal.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned citizens to be alert Friday but noted that no “credible or specific threats” had been made, according to the Post. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said that there “is no reason to feel afraid” and that she is encouraging the Jewish community to not “alter [your] lives” during a joint briefing with Jewish leaders and Adams Thursday, according to Forward.
The father who spoke to the DCNF said that many families he knew were adopting a similar approach, adamant that they would not live in fear.
“All the parents I’ve spoken to (in-school and external) have been resolute about not cowering to hate, and I suspect the school would have remained open if given the option,” he said.
Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli told the Post that his son’s Jewish day school had opted to increase security Friday and would not be letting students outside for recess “just as a precaution.”
“It’s a really bizarre situation,” He said. “We want to tell our children that they’re safe here. There are plenty of people who look for opportunities to do things like this.”
An Israeli student was assaulted by a female student Wednesday at Columbia University’s campus, which also closed on Thursday ahead of protests. The female joined a group putting up flyers of Israelis taken as hostages and pretended to be Jewish before ripping down the posters and beating the Israeli student with a stick.
Palestinian supporters attended a large protest Sunday in Times Square, which was heavily criticized by elected officials, including Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, for its open support of Hamas. The city is anticipating more protests in support of Palestinians Friday, with Hochul putting the state’s National Guard troops on standby in case of a threat, according to the New York Daily News.
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